I’m excited to announce that the Louisiana Office of Tourism has approved a new historical marker for Milliken’s Bend!

Although a marker once existed in the countryside off Thomastown Road, it has been missing for several years now. That marker was placed during the Civil War Centennial in the 1960s, and although technically accurate, it minimized the larger significance of the battle, waiting until the very last sentence to mention the presence of Black Union troops on the battlefield.

The text of the new marker, as reviewed by historians at LSU and approved by the Louisiana Office of Tourism, reads as follows:

FRONT SIDE
BATTLE OF MILLIKEN’S BEND
Four miles east on June 7, 1863,
Confederate troops from Texas attacked a
Union outpost on the Mississippi River.
It was guarded by the “African Brigade”
composed of former slaves, and supported
by two gunboats and 120 men of the 23^rd
Iowa Infantry. The Confederates were unable
to take the position despite vicious hand-
to-hand combat. Casualties shocked both
sides. Some units lost half their force.
The US 9^th Louisiana Infantry African
Descent and 23^rd Iowa had some of the
highest losses in the Vicksburg Campaign.

BACK SIDE
What happened at Milliken’s Bend had a
significant impact on the Civil War,
despite being a small battle. Skeptics
learned that Freedmen would fight with
courage and determination. Recruiting for
the US Colored Troops surged. Accusations
of executions and re-enslavement of
prisoners by Confederate forces prompted
a US Congressional investigation leading
to the suspension of prisoner exchanges.
Nearby, Federally-operated plantations
that paid wages to laborers were a fore-
runner of the Freedmen’s Bureau.

The final placement is at the discretion of the State of Louisiana, but will likely be located north of the town of Tallulah near Hwy. 65. It will look similar to this AI-generated rendering:

Although authorized by the Louisiana Office of Tourism, the State does not pay for the cost of casting and placing the marker. That is left up to individuals and groups – and you can help!

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to raise money for the Milliken’s Bend Marker Fund. The cost is $3260. The fund is administered by Linda Barnickel, author of the book: Milliken’s Bend: A Civil War Battle in History and Memory. Contribute now to ensure that this important battle is not forgotten! You can also help by sharing the word, so that others know of this important site in Black history.